Flack & Angell Surprised
by Runner043
Summary: 10th & final installment in my First Dates series. Flack finds out something very interesting about Angell, and you will meet Angell's brother Jason.


"Surprised" is the 10th & final installment in my Flack & Angell; First Dates series. "Surprised" stands alone, but the series is best read in order, as there are minor references to previous stories.

#1 - Dutch & 3 #2 - Rest Your Wings #3 - A Real Date #4 - The Gym #5 - Trapped #6 - Running From Jealousy #7 - On-call x2 #8 - Dog House #9 - Double Date #10 - Surprised

Disclaimer: Oh, these are so ridiculous to do! But, just to play nice.... all the characters you recognize belong to CBS.  
This includes Lieutenant William Sythe, who, according to S6E8, is Flack's Commanding Officer.  
However Angell's brothers; Jared, Jason, Jacob, and Joshua, and Detective Kate Panner are my characters.

I am rating this story a 'T' just to be safe due to a couple of violent scenes. There is one section that is rated 'M', but it's the very last section and I put up a warning right before it starts. I'm not usually an M type of writer, or even a T for that matter, but it is pivital and relevant to Flack & Angell's relationship and my stories.

BTW: Flack is 6'2" because that's how tall Eddie Cahill, is according to his website.

FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA

"Surprised"....

Flack came out of his kitchen carrying two cups of Irish coffee. He set her's at the end of the coffee table, then re-took his seat at the other end of the couch and waited, trying to relax. Trying.

"Jess?" He called out, wondering where she'd gone to. 'In the bathroom' he assumed when she didn't reply or return right away. So he waited, which was okay, he could use a minute to himself right now.

'Okay, not even with a newspaper does anyone need that long in the bathroom.' he thought to himself eventually. "Jess?!" He called out again, rising from the couch, but not going to look for her because he noticed her boots were no longer by the front door. She was gone.

FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA

The next day....

"Hey, Flack, is Angell with you?" Lindsay asked as she entered the lab. But before Flack could answer, a strange noise was heard.

"Awwk! Awwk! Awwk!" Adam skwaked out as he and Messer entered the lab. "Yo, guys, you should've see the huge birds Danny and I had to fight off trying to get this evidence." Adam flapped his arms like giant wings, "Oh, man. I gotta get some coffee." he added, as if his brain was doing an aside, then he exited.

Flack, Mac, and Lindsay all looked at Messer with confusion on their faces. "At least you didn't have to ride back here with him making that noise." Danny said, arms crossed over his chest and rocking back on his heels. Everyone laughed, knowing what a crack up Adam could be.

"What the..?" Angell asked as she entered, indicating Adam who was still walking down the hall flapping his arms.

"Birds." Was all Danny told her with a straight face, as if that should explain everything. Which it didn't.

"Hey, Angell, I was just wondering where you were." Lindsay spoke up, changing the subject completely.

"Uh, yeah, what's up?" Angell asked, trying to ignore Adam, who could still be heard faintly.

"You were right about the two neighbor ladies." Lindsay informed her. Angell nodded. Lindsay continued, "They were fighting over the widower down the street, just like you suggested."

"How'd you figure out that one?" Mac asked.

"Cards." Angell replied, as if that should be enough of an answer. Mac raised an eyebrow and stared at her for more information. "Greeting cards, actually. One neighbor lady sent him a birthday card and the other a Valentine's Day card." Mac continued to stare, obviously waiting for more of an explination. "His wife wasn't dead yet, Mac. She was still in the nursing home when he received them."

"Poor old guy, probably just thought they were trying to be nice to him while his wife withered away." Lindsay stated.

"Yeah, well, nice sends a Valentine's Day card to 'a cute couple' not to just the husband." Angell said, looking a bit miffed.

"Sounds like this is a familiar scenario to you." Mac said.

"Yeah, well, after my mother died.... well, lets just say that it was surprising how many widows and single women rang our doorbell to console my father, the grieving widower." Angell said with disgust obvious in her tone, then an awkward moment of silence filled the room.

Angell turned to leave, but Lindsay stopped her. "You did really good in helping us figure it all out, Angell. Thanks for your help."

"You're welcome, Lindsay." Angell said, leaving the room without making further eye contact with anyone, including Flack.

Later in the bullpen....

Detective Patterson sat across from Angell in Flack's chair. They were both in a sour mood. "I can't believe I screwed up like that." Angell spoke, her elbows planted on her desk top and running her hands thru her hair in frustration.

"Happens to the best of us, Angell." Patterson replied. She just shot him a look. "It does, and you know it. We can't all be on top of our game every time with every interrogation. Just let it go. We've got him anyway. The CSI's have the evidence, and..."

"And now we have to wait longer to wrap this up." She said, cutting him off. "Wait, what am I saying? I'm outta here for the next few days, so you're gonna have to wrap this up." She signed heavily with guilt. "If I had just kept my mouth shut,..." She didn't finish.

"Don't worry about it. Lawyered up or not, it's all over s'ept for the DD-5's." Patterson said, seeing Flack approach. "Don't ask." He said to Flack.

"Well, if I'm not allowed to ask, whadda ya say you get out of my chair." Flack smirked to Patterson, but noticing Angell had her head down on her desk.

"Fine by me. Geez, I feel like Edith Ann in this thing." Patterson joked. "How tall are you anyway?"

"Six-two. Now go back to your own seat, where you can reach the floor." Flack grinned back.

Angell's phone rang as Patterson left and Flack reclaimed his seat. She checked the caller ID and answered in French. Flack looked confused for a moment, he had no idea she could speak French. And he certainly had no idea what her conversation was about, as it continued in the foreign tongue. Angell concluded her call and started on her paperwork.

Still later that same day....

Angell had finished her DD-5 and left the precinct early, still without saying a word to Flack. He could feel the awkwardness between them. It wasn't huge, but it was there. He wanted to talk to her but now she was gone, again.

"Hey, Chebouski." Flack greeted, approaching the front desk. "You know where Angell is? She's not answering her phone."

"She's off." said Lieutenant Sythe, walking up beside Flack.

"Next three days." Chebouski clarified to Flack, "Her dad was by a few days ago." He added, directly to Sythe.

"Oh, that's right." Sythe mumbled.

"What's right?" Flack asked.

"She takes a few days off each year at this time. Family thing goin' on." Chebouski offered. Flack crossed his arms in front of him and continued looking at Chebouski, obviously wanting more information.

"It's the anniversary of her mother's death, Flack. Let it go." Sythe said in a low voice, before walking away.

FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA

Two days later....

Flack and Messer were stuck in traffic. "Geez, how long can it take to get thru an intersection?" Messer complained from behind the wheel.

"Chill out, Danny. Your whining won't change the light." Flack mumbled out, not really paying attention to traffic.

"Yeah, what do you care. We're not just stuck in traffic, but just happen to be stuck in traffic right across from Angell's apartment building. So, you hoping to get a glimpse of her or something, Flack?" Messer prodded with a smirk.

Flack smirked back, "She's not even there, Danny. Still in Jersey with her family. You're just being snippy 'cause Lindsay's in Montana and you're sleepin' alone right now."

Messer laughed, "Maybe you're being 'snippy' because you're sleepin' alone, too." he defended, leaning back in the driver's seat and crossing his arms.

Flack crunched his brows in irritation and started to speak, but Messer cut him off, "And maybe you're sleepin' alone, 'cause she isn't." Messer said, uncrossing his arms and leaning forward in his seat.

Flack turned to see what Messer was looking at; Angell walking out the door of her apartment building with a guy. She headed down the steps towards the sidewalk but was stopped by the guy as he reached from behind her and grapped her arm. Flack and Messer just watched, confusion turning to concern as they saw Angell spin around quickly and jerk her arm free from the man's grip. Although they could not hear the verbal exchange, it was obvious that their words were being said in anger. Angell continued a few more steps before the man stopped her again, and again, she jerked her way free.

"Why doesn't she just deck the jerk?" Messer asked, as he moved forward a bit in the lane of traffic.

"I don't know, Danny. She could kick his ass easy!" Flack insisted, biting his lip and glad they did not make it through the light and had to wait longer. Their closer proximity gave them a better view as Angell reached the bottom step and was turning their direction, to Flack's relief.

Angell was now on the sidewalk, walking faster than normal, with the man still behind her, obviously trying to talk to her. But she was having no part of it.

"You think we should head over there? Give her a hand?" Messer asked, not taking his eyes off the scene before them.

"Yeah, you try that, Danny. Then she'll kick your ass, too." Flack replied, knowing it was true, but still concerned. It was all he could do to keep himself in his seat. He wanted to be the one to go help her, but not sure if she wanted his help. "Why doesn't she just deck the guy? Put him in cuffs? Or at least a head-lock." Flack was growing agitated at what he was watching.

Angell turned into the alley, the man still right behind her, when she suddenly stopped and turned to him. The verbal confrontation was obviously escalating as she had her finger now waving in his face and was yelling at him. The man began to pace and run his hands through his hair before yelling back at her.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Flack. I'm sure Angell can handle herself, but it looks like this is getting pretty heated." Messer said as he and Flack now leaned heavily to one side to get a better view of what was happening in the alley.

But Flack didn't respond, he just jerked back in response to what he just watched happen; the man suddenly spun on his heels and backhanded Angell, all in one heavy move. Angell was standing so close to the building and when the impact against her jaw spun her around, her head collided with the immovable brick with a terrible sound, even if Flack couldn't hear it. Angell slid to the ground.

Messer turned on the red and blue lights before exiting the vehicle. He was running behind Flack, who was already crossing the intersection.

The man leaned over Angell, grabbed the shoulders of her jacket with both hands, and began shaking her as he yelled in her face. Flack could see her brown curls recoiling in response to the violent jerking movement and her arms hanging limply at her sides, but not understand the man's words over the pounding of his own heartbeat as he ran as fast as he could. The man drew his fist back and was mid-swing, in an obvious attempt to punch Angell in the face, when Flack's body few into his side hard and fast, knocking him off his feet.

Flack and the man rolled on the ground as Messer arrived to tend to Angell who was conscious but very groggy and stunned. Flack had the man pinned against the brick wall with his fist drawn back when he heard Angell call out, "No! Don't hurt him!" Flack froze. "Don't hurt him, Don. Please don't hurt him." She said, almost begged, trying to get to her feet with Messer's help and one hand clutching the bleeding gash on her forehead.

Messer held onto Angell's arm as she steadied herself before stumbling over to the man who was attempting to remove his arms from Flack's grip. But Flack would not let go and pulled out his cuffs.

Messer just looked at Flack who wore the same stunned expression he did. But Flack's expression was more than that. His stun was mixed with hurt, not from wrestling with the guy, but from Angell herself. Did she not care for him the way he thought she did, the way he cared for her? Had last night really changed everything between them? Why else would she suddenly be in a protective mode over the guy who just tried to beat her up? Flack could not hide his confusion and barely heard Angell's words, "He's.... he's my brother." Messer and Flack looked at her and saw the hurt and sadness in her eyes before she lowered her head.

Messer indicated to Angell to sit in the front passenger seat. Flack put Jason Angell right behind her, where she didn't have to look at him. Flack sat behind Messer so he could see Angell easily, but she had her head leaning against the window with her eyes closed and an ice pack on her forehead. The ride to the precinct was quiet.

Angell stood in one of the few quiet halls of the precinct as she watched Messer haul her brother off to booking, passing Flack who was approaching with Dr. Hawkes. "I just want him to look at that gash on your forehead." Flack said, holding up a hand in anticipation of her protest. She relented.

"You're gonna be fine. Gonna have quite a headache for a while, but you'll be fine. I'd have preferred you had some subdermal stitches, too, but, these butterfly bandages will do." Hawkes said, peeling off his gloves and rising from the chair.

"Thanks, Hawkes." Angell said, patting his arm. "I know I don't make a very good patient."

"Take some Tylenol for the headache, but you get straight to the ER if it gets worse or you get dizzy. Okay?" He clarified before leaving.

Angell nodded and Flack shook his hand in thanks before turning to Angell. He sat in the chair vacated by Hawkes and took a deep breath, "So, Jess, you wanna tell me what the hell just happened."

She nodded slowly, not raising her head, "Not here." She said.

FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA

"Thanks." Angell said with a weak smile to the waitress who filled their coffee cups.

Flack sat silently and patiently, holding his cup between his hands and gave Angell all the time she needed to begin what he anticipated would be a painful explanation.

After several minutes she began, "I was at my dad's place yesterday.... for the anniversary of my mother's death. Jared, Jacob, Joshua, and I always meet there to go with dad to the cemetery. To our surprise, Jason showed up, too. He just, he just never does." she paused, still fidgiting with her coffee cup which she had been staring at, "He, uh,.... he got into a lot of trouble back in his college days. Drugs and drinking, mostly. Dad and the rest of us got tired of bailing him out and listening to his excuses." She paused again, clearing her throat, still staring at the cup, "So, um, last night I went to get something out of my car and he tosses me his keys asking me to bring him his duffel bag while I'm at it. Typical bachelors car, I thought, full of dirty clothes and old food, so I wasn't surprised to find a McDonald's sack on top of the duffel bag. I went to move it and a needle stuck out the side of it."

"You didn't... " Flack said suddenly.

"No. I didn't get stuck." She answered, looking up at him for the first time. "But I did look in the sack." She paused and took a deep breath, "It was full of drugs. Just about everything you could imagine. Meth, cocaine, LSD blotters, just... everything. All I could think of was to get rid of that garbage that was ruining his life. So I took the sack. But I couldn't have it in my father's house, or even on his property, and since Jason's car was parked out on the street.... I hid it by the back tire. The next morning I left before any one got up, taking the sack with me. I stopped at Jersey PD and turned it in to be destroyed."

"What happened today?" Flack inquired, before taking a sip of his coffee.

"Jason showed up at my door wanting his drugs back. I told him they were gone, and good riddance. But he went off about how they weren't his, some BS about how he was just holding them for some guy and was gonna be in trouble if he didn't give 'em back or pay up, which he couldn't. He didn't believe me, when I told him I didn't have them, that I'd turned them in." She shook her head and said, "Can you believe he thought I could just flash my badge and get them back? Stupid, this whole thing is just so stupid. We've all been warning him for years that if he didn't start making better choices in his life that it would eventually catch up to him."

"None of us can make others make wise decisions, Jess." Flack said, placing a hand on her arm.

She nodded, "I know. It's just... hard to watch someone you love do that to themselves. But,.... but you've had practice at this, too. Haven't you? With Sam, I mean."

Flack nodded. Yes, he'd been thru many of the same emotions with his sister. "I believe it was you who said 'neither of us would ever know the advantages of being an only child'." She nodded. "I gotta get back. Come on, I'll drop you off first?" He offered.

"No. I want to go back to the precinct with you." She replied.

Flack shook his head, "Jess, I don't think it's a good idea for you to be there while I'm interrogating him."

But his words meant nothing, as Angell was already standing and putting her coat on.

FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA

"I already told you, the drugs weren't mine. I was holding on to them for someone, so I've either gotta give it all back or pay him for them, and now I can't do either one." Jason Angell said thru gritted teeth to Messer and Flack who were sitting across from him in the interrogation room.

"And you think beating up your sister is going to help somehow?!" Messer said in a loud voice, trying to control his anger as the sickening image of Angell's head colliding with brick flashed in his mind again.

"An Assault Of A Police Officer charge isn't going to look good added to your already long record, Jason." Flack added, with the same image in his head.

"Ya gotta believe me. I didn't mean for it to end up like that. She just wouldn't listen or help me!" Jason said, now with a pleading tone in his voice.

"And what,... you thought she could just go in, flash her badge, and get your drugs back for you?" Flack asked sarcastically, quoting Angell.

"Look,...." Jason began, resting his elbows on the table and running his hands thru his shaggy hair, "I didn't mean to hurt her. She's my sister, ya know. I even tried finding 'em when she wasn't there and everything."

"When was this?" Messer asked. "She come home early or something."

"No, no. Last night. I went to her apartment last night, while she was gone. Ya know, to look for 'em. Thought I could just take 'em back and she'd never know. But I couldn't find 'em." Jason explained, still with a pleading tone in his voice.

Messer and Flack exchanged looks just before Angell, who had been watching through the window, came busting through the door. They immediately saw the look of rage on her face and both stood to block her from reaching her brother, but she pushed them out of the way.

"You?!" She began yelling. Jason stood up and she quickly had him backed up against the wall and shaking her fist in his face. "You're the one who ram-sacked my apartment?! Oh my God, you idiot! Damn you, Jason!" She continued yelling back-and-forth between English and French and began pacing a bit as Messer and Flack both stood watching and letting her vent. "How could you do this to me?!" She got in his face again, "This is what we've all been trying to tell you, Jason, that your problems effect the rest of us."

"Jessica,.... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.... " He mumbled ashamed, but she cut him off.

"Didn't mean to? Didn't mean to?! You break into my home, where I'm supposed to feel safe, and you trash it and destroy my stuff." She screamed at him.

"I'll pay for it, Jessi..." He began, but she cut him off again.

"Oh, you'll pay for it huh? You'll pay for my laptop that you broke? And you'll pay for my tv that you smashed? Huh?! Tell me, Jason, how are you going to do that when you don't even have a job?!" She said, rubbing it in his face. "And what about he things that can't be replaced, like Grandma's antique mirror that you shattered? What about Grandpa Angell's painting that was cut up when you threw the frame off my book shelf? Some things can't be replaced, Jason, just like the relationships you're destroying!"

"Jessica,... I'm sorry. I just, ya know, you weren't there and I needed to find where you'd hid it, and I just got carried away." He said, fumbling through the words.

"Weren't there? You think I wasn't there? I've got a news flash for ya, Jason,... I was there!" She screamed, getting in his face again as he cowered against the wall. She paused, taking deep breaths through gritted teeth. "I spent nearly an hour, freezing my ass off out on the fire escape, while you ram-sacked my apartment. I'd just gotten out of the shower when I heard you break in, but I couldn't get to my gun, so I had to go out the window and sit out there with wet hair in nothing but a damp towel while you tore my place apart. I spent the rest of the night on a cot in the Sleep Room here at the precinct because I didn't feel safe in my own apartment." She backed away slightly and began pacing before grabbing his shirt again, "Damn it, Jason! Did it ever occur to you that I'm a cop, that I carry a gun, that I could have blown your damn head off?!" She yelled in his face and pulled her fist back for a punch.

Messer and Flack both instinctively took a step forward to stop her before noticing she had froze.

"Go ahead, Jessica." Jason said in a calm and low voice. "Just do it. You could kick my ass without even breaking a sweat. Just do it and get it out of your system. We both know I deserve it."

Angell slowly lowered her fist and took a step back, "No. I won't. Not because I can't, but because I refuse to let you have this kind of effect on me." The rest of her words were spoken in French in a surprisingly calm and low voice. Then she turned and walked out of the room.

FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA

It's two days later and Jason Angell is out on bail....

Mac and Flack were at a scene when they heard the call on the radio about an officer involved disturbance at the tattoo parlor. "That's the tattoo parlor Jess' friend owns." Flack told Mac, then they both got in Mac's Avalanche.

"Come on, Jessica, ya gotta help me." Jason pleaded again.

"Is that why you came here, Jason? Because I'm not helping you, and you know it." Angell replied, trying to calm her brother down without giving in. It was obvious he was very high on something and was bordering on another violent outburst.

Messer and Bonasara were already on the scene and inside the lobby of the tattoo parlor when Mac and Flack arrived to join them. The all watched Angell and her brother who were close by, but on the other side of the glass display case that made up the front counter. Jason's words alternated between pleading for his sister to help him and screaming obscenities at her for not helping him. Angell was verbally doing her best to try to keep him calm, yet had to physically restrain him a few times to keep from gettin hit.

Mac was doing a good job at talking to Jason and explaining that his sister couldn't help him and that he was just making things worse. Jason seemed to calm down when Mac talked, but got more agitated by Flack's presence.

As Jason's mood swung again, he grabbed Angell and twisted her left arm behind her back as he threw her onto the glass display case. She is face down on the case with Jason pinning her arm behind her. As Mac continues talking to Jason, trying to calm him down again, he slowly approaches the counter. But Jason is not calming down this time, and to make a point of being the one in control, he tightens his grip on his sister's arm and jerks it up.

Flack nearly lost it at the should of his girlfriend's arm being broken, or dislocated, or whatever that horrible noise was. He could see her whole body shaking as her forehead rested on the glass, and her right hand was in a white-knuckled grip of the counter. She was doing everything she could to keep from screaming. She slowly raised her head to make close eye-to-eye contact with Mac. They could all see her lower lip quivering and her eyes watering because of the pain.

Flack wanted more than anything to pull out his gun and just shoot Jason. But he had another idea and slipped away and went down the hall, trying to reach the side door and get in without Jason seeing him.

Angell was watching Flack quietly slip away in the corner of her vision when suddenly her brother grabbed her hair and jerked her head back in the process of pulling her off the counter and away from Mac, who he was suddenly suspicious of.

"Come on, Jason, you said yourself that you don't want to hurt your sister." Mac said, in a low and calm voice, trying to reason with him.

"Shut up!" Jason yelled back, "Just shut up!" And with that he pulled a gun out of his pocket.

Angell new about the side door and assumed that's where Flack was headed. But he'd left for the hall before Jason had pulled the gun, so he wouldn't know about that danger. She had to find a way to warn him, but her left arm was hanging useless at her side and Jason still had a tight grip on her hair and now a gun. She had a plan.

"Put it down, Jason." She ordered him. But he just shook his head. "Put the gun down, Jason!" she began yelling over and over again, very loudly.

She knew her yelling was only making her brother more angry, but she needed Flack to hear her and not come through the door and get shot. So she kept it up.

Finally Jason was so agitated he pulled even harder on her hair and flung her face-first into the glass door of a tall cabinet. This sent blood hushing from the re-opened gash on her forehead and a new one on her lip. Jason pulled hard enough on her hair again to extract her head from the cabinet. She was seriously dazed and fought to remain conscious and on her feet, but soon stumbled and fell, taking Jason to the floor with her.

Jason was trying to get up off the floor as Flack came busting through the side door and knocked him over again and sent the gun sliding across the floor.

As soon as the cuffs were on Jason, Flack went to Angell's side as Hawkes, who had been waiting outside, also approached.

"Is she going to need stitches this time, Doc?" Flack asked, taking in the blood coming from her cuts.

"Yeah, but I'm more concerned about a concussion." Hawkes informed him. "Hey, Angell.... I need you to listen to me." She nodded. "I want you to look to the right, moving only your eyes." She did. "Now look to the left." And when she did, Hawkes suddenly pulled her wrist up to her shoulder, popping her elbow back in place." Angell jerked hard at the sudden pain. "Sorry, Angell. But it's best when you don't know it's coming or it just makes it worse." She shot Hawkes an angry look.

Hawkes took Angell to the ER while the rest of them dealt with the crime scene and Jason Angell.

FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA

Three hours later....

Angell walked out of Trinity General to find Flack leaning against his car. "What?" He asked as she stopped. "You thought I was going to let you take the subway home?"

"No, that's what I'm here for." Flack turned to see Angell's friend Detective Kate Panner walking up.

"Oh, hi, Detective Panner." Flack said in surprise.

"Nice to see ya, Blue Eyes." Panner replied with a smile, then turned to Angell. "I'm parked right over there, when you're ready." She added before heading back to her car.

"Be right there, Kate." Angell said. "You look disappointed." She said to Flack after Panner was far enough away to not hear.

"Yeah, well, I figured that since you have to be kept awake tonight because of your concussion, that maybe we could stay up together and talk." He said, shifting his feet nervously.

"I don't know that I'm read to talk about that yet, Flack. Or if I even want to." Angell said, but not making eye contact.

"Jess," He reached out for her arm.

She pulled away, "You made me feel embarrassed and unwanted when you found out. How do you think that made me feel?" She asked, but it wasn't really a question.

"Jess, I wasn't the one who left."

FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA

A/N: The remainder of my story is a flashback to what happened between Flack & Angell at the very beginning, but we're not to the M part yet....

FLASHBACK.....

"Yeah, it was the Deputy Mayor's own son." Flack explained to Angell over the phone.

"Wow. And I thought I had a dysfunctional family." She replied.

"What? Your's sounds pretty sane compared to mine." he smirked back.

"Oh really?" She wondered, "That's only because you haven't heard the stories."

"True. But you haven't heard the stories from mine either, so I guess we're even. But,..." he began to add as he shifted in his seat and looked around, then lowered his voice, "... we do need to give you the opportunity."

"How's that?" She inquired, not following what he meant.

"For you to hear some stories. Not that I really want you to hear them, but I'm sure that part is unavoidable, especially if Sam's there. But, uh, any chance I can talk you into coming to my folks' house for dinner with me next Sunday?" he asked, knowing it was a big step, but hoping she would agree.

"Oh," she said, arching her brows and paused, "you mean, as in, a, 'meet the parents' kind of thing?"

"Yeah. Dysfunctional embarrassing stories and all." he replied, wondering if she was in an excited or petrified state at the moment.

"I see. Yeah, um." she stammered. Okay, maybe not 'petrified' but definitely nervous.

"My parents will adore you, Jess." He said, trying to calm her down, as he could tell she was less than excited at the opportunity. "But I don't wanna pressure you, and you don't have to say 'yes', just think about it first. In fact, I'd prefer you thought about it first."

"You're right. I would like to think about it. I mean, not that I don't want to meet them. Oh geez,..." she sighed heavily, "... listen to me. I sound like some...." Then she heard Flack laughing. "Don't laugh at me. Just wait till I drag you to meet my father." She heard silence. "Uh huh. Yeah, didn't think so."

"Okay, okay, so maybe I do get it." Flack replied. "So, what do they have you doing today?" He asked, deciding it was time to change the subject.

"Two hours of kick boxing. Two hours of target practice. Two hours of hand-to-hand combat. And two hours of hostage negotiations." She informed him.

"Gee. Sound like fun. I still can't figure out why you had to go back for two more days of training, though." He said.

"That makes two of us. I either did something really good the first time, or really bad. I just haven't figured out which." She said.

"Hey, Jess, I gotta go. I just got the strangest message about Stella finding an eyeball in her coffee." Flack said.

"Ew. Well, you go have fun with that one." She smirked.

"Yeah. And you go have fun with some big guns." Flack said with a jealous tone in his voice. "And I'll see you tonight."

That evening....

Flack stood outside his apartment building waiting for Angell to pick him up. His paperwork had wrapped up nice and efficiently, so he headed out early, wanting to change before their date. He didn't have to wait long till she pulled up for him and they were on their way to Club Z again.

Flack spoke up as they waited for a red light to change, "So, what did I do to deserve this?" He asked with a grin.

"Deserve what?" She inquired.

Flack's grin widened as he looked down at her bare legs. "You told me you don't do dresses."

"Okay, first off, not a dress. Not even a skirt, technically, these are skorts. And second, it gets really hot in there dancing." She explained.

"Hey, I'm not complaining at all." He smiled, even though he was trying not to. "Look at it this way, at least it didn't come with a blonde wig this time."

Angell rolled her eyes and took off as the light changed. "That wig was so unnecessary. I swear the guy that handed me that outfit just had a thing for blondes."

"I prefer brunettes." Flack smiled, intentionally this time. "And I definitely prefer you as a brunette." He added.

As expected, Club Z was crowded and noisy, but Flack & Angell didn't care. It was another night to let loose and have fun, and most importantly, be together. Although that fun was temporarily interrupted when Angell put some jerk in a headlock for grabbing her butt.

Flack leaned back on an elbow at the bar as he took a drink of his cold Pepsi, "Ya need any help there, sweetheart?" he called out to Angell over the music as he made sure the badge on his belt showed.

"No thanks, I've got it." She replied in a sweet tone, while forcefully handing the jerk over to security and flashing her badge that was on the waistband of her black skorts, just under the hem of her white sleeveless blouse. Then after partaking of her own drink Angell pulled Flack back out onto the dance floor as the evening was far from over.

The fresh cold air outside felt good as they emerged from Club Z. "Just after midnight." Flack stated as they walked towards her car.

"That means we're no longer on call." Angell said with a smile. "And, that means.... Irish coffee." She added.

"You hungry?" He asked.

"Now that you mention it, yeah, I am kinda hungry." She answered. "Got any ideas?"

"Right now...." he tuned and leaned on the car as he wrapped his arms around her waist, "... just one." and began kissing her.

"Let's head back to my place. I'll make you something to eat." He said, when they came up for air. She nodded and they stopped at the market on the way.

A/N: this is the part where it changes to an M rating.

Angell left her cranberry red ankle boots by the front door and shed her coat before joining Flack in the kitchen. She hopped up on the counter and watch him take a package out of the fridge and unpack vegetables and lemons while the coffee brewed. "My brother went deep sea fishing and brought me back some salmon. Sound good?" He asked, unbuttoning and peeling his short sleeved shirt to get comfortable.

"Mhmm." She responded with a nod as she stirred her Irish coffee. "Only one brother? Must be nice" She smirked and eyed him in his wifebeater.

Flack filled Angell in on his siblings; one younger brother Ian Patrick and one still younger sister Samantha Lynn. And for the next twenty minutes or so they talked and compared siblings, Angell still perched on the counter next to where Flack chopped the vegetables and lemons.

Flack put the knife down and wiped his hands on a towel as he moved to stand in front of Angell. He leaned both hands on the counter's edge, one on each side of her. But soon he found he was no longer hearing her words, just watching her lips move, lips he just had to kiss. She soon suspected she was talking to herself and began making nonsense statements as confirmation, and when he nodded in response, she struggled to control her laughter till he put one hand on the back of her neck and pulled her in slowly. Their lips met and danced just like the rest of their bodies had done earlier. Tongues soon battling for dominance, each pleasing the other despite their own greed. Soon their common need for oxygen caused lips to part, leaving foreheads to lean together and eyes to lock. Blue to brown and vice versa. But only long enough to catch their breaths before the dance began again. His hand remained at the back of her neck till he supported it fully as her head slowly fell back allowing his lips to relocate to her neck where he found a large expanse of soft skin to explore. This sent shivers and tingles down her spine and she found herself clutching the fabric of his wifebeater and running her fingers thru his recently trimmed hair. When there was another need for oxygen, she took the opportunity to exchange roles and explore his neck. She could feel the emergence of a second five o'clock shadow under her lips, but he still tasted good and she could tell he was enjoying it as his hands rubbed her back thru the fabric of her blouse and she could hear him intentionally breathing deep and slow. Their tongues soon danced again and Angell found herself rubbing the back of his leg with her foot and Flack found himself supporting the weight of her shoulders as she laid back in his large supportive hands. Again more oxygen, more eyes locked, then he reached up and closed the blinds to the window above the sink next to them. "Nosey old guy with binoculars and too much time on his hands." He explained. She arched her brow in an understanding response and was glad their privacy would not be invaded. "He'd probably even noticed your missed button."

Angell tucked her chin down, glancing at the front of her blouse, that had no missed or undone buttons. "Where?" She asked.

Flack removed his left hand from behind her neck, his fingertips slowly trailing across her collarbone and not stopping their downward movement till he reached the first button of her blouse. "Right here." He said, undoing the button without breaking eye contact.

She glanced down at the undone button, then back up to meet his gaze again, "You're right." was all she said, then kissed him again as his hand slowly trailed back up to her neck, then like a pendulum right back down to the next button, then back up, then back down. By the time his fingers were trailing back down to undo the fourth button, her head was again laid back in his supportive hand and she ran her nails across the ribs of his wifebeater as he kissed and licked and sucked on her neck. She knew she'd have to wear something to cover the marks he was sure to leave behind, but she didn't care. The weather was still cold enough to justify a turtleneck, she told herself.

With the last of button undone she slowly sat up and his hands moved from her lower back around to her front, then up the front of her and over her shoulders, pushing fabric out of the way till her blouse fell onto the countertop behind her.

Angell pulled on the fabric of his wifebeater till she had it untucked from his pants, pulled up and over his head, and it lay discarded on the floor.

Flack wrapped his hands again around her waist and pulled her to the edge of the counter as close to him as possible. And with their bodies pressed together, abs to abs, chest to chest, shoulders to shoulders, there came another dance, another battle, and another shift of their weight as she slowly leaned back in his strong arms again and he slowly leaned over her.

Sometimes their kisses were slow and gentle, as if they each cared more about pleasing the other. Sometimes they were passionate and intense, as if full of greed for themselves.

He noticed her foot was once again rubbing the back of his leg and her fingers ran thru his hair. She noticed his hand was now on her knee, rubbing the side of her thigh with his thumb as his lips continued dancing on her neck.

Both their minds were racing as dinner was long forgotten about and his hand slowly made it's way up her thigh. Another need for oxygen gave him the opportunity to look into her eyes, then see them close with a sudden intake of air as he brushed his thumb against her panties. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, then used her finger to raise his chin, exposing his neck for her lips to delight and partake in.

Flack knew he'd be wearing a button up shirt and tie to work tomorrow to cover the marks she was leaving behind, but he didn't care at all. Right now he was focused on how her body gave a slight quiver each time he moved his strategically placed thumb. He delighted in the predictable pattern; move the thumb and hear her sigh against his neck, then move the thumb and feel her tremble beneath him, then move the thumb and hear her moan.

Angell's heart was beating fast as she tried not to break the contact her lips had with his neck, but each time he moved against her it became harder to focus. Soon it didn't matter, as her head was again laid back and he was the one leading the dance. She felt so exposed and vulnerable in front of him like that, yet safe in his strong arms. Surely he would never mock her as she was slowly losing control of her breathing, even the movement of her own body which responded of it's own accord at his every touch.

He watched her, he smelled her, he tasted her, he felt her. And he would have held her closer if it had been possible. She was almost fully laid back on the counter now, except for his right arm and hand supporting her shoulder and neck, her hips were pulled as close as possible against his, leaving only enough room for his left hand between them to work their tactical magic. He knew she couldn't last much longer and he was going to savor every moment as he took her closer to the edge.

Flack had thought she was beautiful from the first time he saw her, but possibly never more beautiful than at that very moment. 'She's so strong and independent, yet so trusting in me right now. I'm not gonna let her down, I'm going to take care of her. Real good care of her. Oh, so close now. I wonder what she'll be like. Will she slip over the edge quietly into a state of physical ecstasy, evidenced only by her white knuckled grip on whatever she can get her hands on? Will she say 'yes' a hundred times and moan my name as she tries desperately to catch her breath? Either way. She will be a beautiful sight to watch.'

He was right, it didn't take much longer for her to slip over the edge and into that wonderful state of ecstasy. He watched, and loved every moment of it. Her small hands clutching anything within her reach till her delicate fingers turned white. Her chest rising and falling in unison with the waves her abs and hips were making. Her head laid back with eyes closed as she panted and called out 'yes', although it wasn't a hundred times. But he felt a surge of pride at hearing her moan his name. He loved hearing it, he loved watching it, and he loved her.

The color in Angell's fingers returned as she loosened her grip on the faucet, slowly returning from her visit to the land of ecstasy. Her breathing still fast and shallow, her neck and limbs feeling like lead as if no energy left to control them. He held her close, placing butterfly kisses on her exposed neck.

She tried to speak, but made no sound aside from still breathing heavy. He loosened his hold on her to reach for a nearby water bottle and she gratefully accepted it. She sat up guzzling the water while he stared at her, one hand on each of her thighs. She put the water down and pulled him in for a kiss. Her legs wrapped again around his waist and his arms wrapped around her's, and when they broke for air he easily picked her up that way and carried her off to the bedroom.

He sat on the edge of the bed, keeping her in his lap, her legs still wrapped around him. She stood up and he watched her unzip her skorts, letting them fall to the floor. His hands went immediately for her hips, pulling her close to kiss her lean stomach. With her hands on his shoulders, she pushed him back onto the bed before raking her fingers down to his belt, which she undid, followed by his pants, which were soon on the floor with his socks. With her atop him, he began pushing her panties down, a job she finished herself for the sake of efficiency. He soon rolled them over and as they lay diagonally across the bed, she began pushing his boxers down.

"Oh, Jess." He breathed heavily into her ear as he kissed her neck. "I want you so bad."

"Then what are you waiting for?" She said. It was both a question and an offer.

They locked eyes before kissing again, then he reached for the drawer of the nightstand. She saw the condom in his hand and he saw the sheet twisted in her's. He turned and saw her other hand, a white-knuckled grip on a pillow.

"Jess?" He spoke softly. She looked up at him. "Everything okay?" He knew it sounded lame, but didn't know what else to say at the moment. She didn't speak, just a slight nod and slighter smile. He ran his fingers down her arm to her delicate hand, removed the sheet from her grip and laced his fingers with hers. "Really?" He asked. She looked away, and as if noticing her other hand she released the pillow from her grip.

A minute later Angell sat curled up at one end of the couch with the bed sheet wrapped around her facing Flack who was at the other end facing her.

"Talk to me, Jess." He coaxed gently while rubbing her foot.

She took a deep breath. "It's no big deal, Don, really." She saw him arch his brows, obviously expecting more of an explanation. Another deep breath, "I already told you I'm not good at relationships because I suck at this whole dating thing." She saw him nod, "So,... I... haven't exactly... dated much." No nod this time, but she could tell he was processing. "Don, ya gotta understand, my brothers helped my dad chaperone my prom. The boy that took me was my brother's friend and he was so scared to come near me you could have driven a freight train between us when we slow danced. Then I met Hank in college, which was a disaster, so I just decided no dating or relationships till after college. And and it's been nothing but Dutch or 3 since then. So, I just haven't really dated, so I haven't..... ya know."

The lightbulb finally went on in Flack's brain, "So, you're still,... a virgin?"

"Only because four minutes ago you stopped." She replied with a blush.

Flack was about to speak but his phone rang. "It's Sam." He said after checking the caller ID. "I haven't been able to reach her since she stood me up a while back. I gotta take this. Give me a minute." He said and answered his phone.

Flack paced the living room as he talked with Sam, but when their talking turned to arguing, he made his way into the kitchen.

Angell rose from the couch and went back into the bedroom. She tossed the sheet on the bed and put on her underwear and skorts. "Shoot!" she mumbled to herself, remembering her blouse was on the kitchen counter. She quietly made her way to the front door and put her coat on over her bra and grabbed her boots.

Flack finished his call with Sam as quickly as he could and came out of his kitchen carrying two cups of Irish coffee. He set her's at the end of the coffee table, then re-took his seat at the other end of the couch and waited, trying to relax. Trying.

"Jess?" He called out, wondering where she'd gone to. 'In the bathroom' he assumed when she didn't reply or return right away. So he waited, which was okay, he could use a minute to himself right now.

'Okay, not even with a newspaper does anyone need that long in the bathroom.' he thought to himself eventually. "Jess?!" He called out again, rising from the couch, but not going to look for her because he noticed her boots were no longer by the front door. She was gone.

FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA

A/N: Surprised ya, didn't I?!

What will this mean for Flack & Angell's relationship? You'll just have to wait till my next story to find out, although I should mention that I'm going to take time to write about the first anniversary of Pay Up, before continuing with my stories, so be patient. 


End file.
